Our First Christmas Tree

We put up our first Christmas tree on Sunday.

What a magical feeling; it was straight out of a movie: Matt and I rumbling down the winding road in my red pickup truck, pulling into the tree lot, picking through the trees until we found that perfect tree and then gleefully packing it up to take home. Well, that might be the slightly embellished version...

In actuality, Matt and I drove down to WalMart off Fallbrook, in the middle of mega-chainstore-mall and bought the best tree we could find in the $19.95 section. We then ran through the store trying to find all the things we would need before the store closed: $6 tree stand, $10 tree skirt, $10 worth of ornaments, etc. Fifteen minutes later we emerged victorious, ready to set up our first tree as a couple.

While I made Mulled Wine, Matt worked outside to saw off the bottom of the trunk with the smallest, most pathetic hand saw I've ever seen. Then Marsh, Matt and I sat on the floor and attempted to get the tree to stand straight in our $6 tree stand. Twenty minutes of "a little to the left" "No, wait, to the right" "No, that's not right either" later, our 4 foot Noble lived up to its name.

Situated in the corner of our living room, our little tree captivates any audience. The carefully selected red, white and blue ornaments hang amidst the little white lights while the gold star sits proudly at the top.

And Marsh curls up quietly on the cozy tree skirt, contentedly wondering why, on earth, is there a tree in our living room?

Never Fails Fudge

Matt asked me to make fudge a few days ago. This is not a common occurrence, as I am usually busy in the kitchen trying new recipes and testing them on my poor husband. He barely had the words out of his mouth before my eyes got dreamy and I began rambling off the kinds of fudge I could prepare: chocolate mint fudge, basic fudge, mocha fudge, fudge with cinnamon, fudge with toasted nuts, fudge with hazelnuts, white chocolate fudge with fresh nutmeg, the possibilities were endless!

The funny thing is, I used to be scared to death of making fudge. It had a tendency of turning out crumbly instead of creamy, often tasting burnt, or never setting up at all! I tried too many recipes to count, each one turning out worse than the previous. However, as you may have guessed, I finally found a recipe that not only makes the worlds finest fudge, but has never failed me. You can add any ingredient to the basic recipe and the fudge instantly embraces the newcomer and makes it the star of the evening.

I finally came back from my trip to the fudge dreamland, and decided on orange chocolate fudge and cookies and cream fudge—a tribute to my darling husband’s passion for Oreo blizzards. The orange chocolate fudge was delicious, reminiscent of those yummy chocolate oranges you buy at Christmastime. The ones that instruct you to “whack orange on something hard until the segments come loose”. Oh those fun times, hearing the sound of chocolate hit the table, and drooling as you anticipate the taste of that perfect marriage of chocolate and orange. The fudge was creamy and chocolaty, and the orange was perfect. The zest gave a true orange flavor, and every so often you spotted a speck of that magical orange hiding amidst the chocolate.

The spotlight of the evening, however, was…drumroll, please…the cookies and cream fudge! Dressed up in its own little black and white tuxedo, the creamy white chocolate gives way to a very satisfying crunch as you first meet the crumbled Oreo. I find that white chocolate is often too sweet for me, but the chocolate in the Oreo balanced it perfectly. How wonderful, to be able to balance the sweetness of white chocolate with…more chocolate! Talk about my own personal heaven.

Never Fails Fudge

15 oz Semi-Sweet chocolate (I used Ghiradelli chocolate chips)
14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
1 t vanilla

Bring a pot of water to boil. Place a glass bowl on top of the pot (the bowl should be larger than the diameter of the pot so that it sits on top of the pot, not in the pot), making sure the water does not reach the bowl. Lower heat so that the water is at a consistent simmer. Add chocolate and sweetened condensed milk, stir until chocolate melts. Remove from heat, add vanilla and any other ingredients. Line a dish with wax or parchment paper, pour the hot chocolate mixture into the dish. Refrigerate for 2 hours, or until firm. Remove fudge from dish using the paper lining. Peel paper off fudge, slice fudge. Enjoy, or cover and refrigerate for up to one week.

I added 2 teaspoons of grated orange zest for the orange chocolate fudge and omitted the vanilla. For the cookies and cream fudge, I substituted white chocolate for the semi-sweet, omitted the vanilla, and added ½ cup of crushed Oreos. When adding an ingredient that will change the flavor of the fudge, I omit the vanilla. When adding an ingredient for texture—chopped nuts, coconut, etc—I keep the vanilla in the recipe as I find it gives depth to the chocolate.

Perfect Fall Picnic

The leaves are just calling you to jump in them. You hear them every morning as you run from your door to the car, hoping to not be late to work, again. This weekend, take some time to enjoy the incredible beauty of the turning leaves. A midmorning hike is the perfect way to embrace these brisk sunny days. Wear shoes that will allow you to jump in, tromp through, and--let’s admit it--fall on your rear in, the red, orange and yellow leaves. Pack a light, mitten-friendly picnic and get ready to relive some of the joys of your childhood.

Perfect Fall Picnic

Fill a basket or backpack with

-a thermos of homemade hot chocolate
-a thermos of creamy tomato soup
-a few bags of cashews and toasted almonds
-various sliced cheeses*
-a few slices of toasted baguette
-water bottles
-treats for the pup (optional)

* slice the cheese before you leave, your fingers will not be up for the job outside and will be crying to crawl back into their warm cozy mittens.

Panqueques de Dulce de Leche

Crepes are incredibly versatile. They are primarily known in the U.S. as a dessert, but are wonderful for meals as well. Try filling them with lox and cream cheese, or a creamy mixture of mushrooms and prosciutto. A personal favorite for dessert is to fill them with nutella and sliced bananas. Tonight I am making an Argentine menu in honor of a dear friend who is coming to dinner, so for dessert I am serving Panqueques de Dulce de Leche (Dulce de Leche Crepes). They are a great way to end the meal as you can make the crepes ahead of time; stack them, separating each with wax or parchment paper, and refrigerate; reheat before serving. (Freeze if made earlier than the day of.) Enjoy!

Panqueques de Dulce de Leche

1 C all-purpose flour
1 t salt
6 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 C milk
2 T milk
4 T melted butter
1 jar Dulce de Leche

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend on high for 2 minutes. Cover and let rest for at least 30 minutes. Pulse batter once more before cooking. Butter a small skillet, heat on medium-high. Using a cup or ladle, pour 1/4 cup batter into pan, swirling pan quickly to distribute batter evenly. Cook until sides of crepe loosen from pan, and bubbles appear in batter. Flip and cook underside until both sides are even in color.

Heat Dulce de Leche, drizzle over rolled crepe. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Serve warm.